FOCUSThe Official Publication of the North Dakota Recreation and Park Association Summer 2018 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Greetings NDRPA members! The end of summer sessions to attend. Please note is in sight, and school will be starting up soon again. that for small park districts While summer months always seem to go by too fast, without full-time staff there are this also means we are close to the end of the busy scholarships available. Visit summer recreation program season. I know as parks www.ndrpa.com for additional and recreation staff we all put in a lot of time and effort details. to make sure our communities around the state have an I also share one more enjoyable, safe and successful summer season. reminder of the new budget NDRPA has been busy during the last year. A quick process for 2018. The recap of some of the events are: member meeting with preliminary budget is due to education in Devils Lake in January, Certified Playground county auditors by Aug. 10. The Safety Inspector Course in Bismarck in March, HR final budget and public hearing George Hellyer Conference in Bismarck in April, first-time park board date is to be set between NDRPA President commissioner training webinar in July, ND Trails Sept. 7 – Oct. 7. Reference ND Conference in Fargo in August, and upcoming annual Century Code 40-40-06 for additional details relating to conference in Dickinson in September. I hope you were the budget requirements. able to participate in some of these events. NDRPA I am going to steal an idea from Darin Krueger, works hard to put on great events that are beneficial and executive director in Williston and past president of valuable to members. NDRPA. Please send me a quick email, ghellyer@ The annual NDRPA State Conference is around the gfparks.org, if you read this article. It could be as quick corner, Sept. 11-13, and if time and budget allow I would as, “I read the article.” I would love to hear from you. encourage you to attend. The state conference is in This is my last president’s message. I would like to Dickinson this year. The conference always provides for take a moment to thank the rest of the NDRPA Board some great networking opportunities to visit with other of Directors and the committees for their service and parks and recreation professionals who are sometimes support during the past year. In addition, thank you to going through the same struggles and challenges that Dana and the rest of her staff for all the wonderful work you are. In addition, there are always great educational they do. Lastly, thank you to all parks and recreation commissioners and employees for everything you do to make your community a better place to live! George Hellyer, CPA NDRPA President Mission Advancing parks, recreation and conservation for an enhanced quality of life in North Dakota. Strategic Goals 1. Member Services: Provide training, information and networking for parks and Sept. 11-13 NDRPA State Conference, recreation stakeholders. Dickinson 2. Policy Advocacy: Represent parks and Sept. 25-27 NRPA Annual Conference, recreation interests on public policy issues. Indianapolis 3. Public Outreach: Promote the benefits of Oct. 15 FOCUS Deadline parks and recreation and the importance of conservation, health and wellness, and Feb. 7 Parks Day at the Capitol access. March 19-21 Certified Playground Safety Inspector Course, Bismarck 3 ONTENTS C BOARD OF DIRECTORS President’s Message 3 President George Hellyer Grand Forks Park District Mark Your Calendar 3 PO Box 12429 NDRPA News 5 Grand Forks, ND 58208 701-746-2750 People on the Move 5 [email protected] Park District News 6 Past President Bob Gillen 2018 NRPA Annual Conference 7 Minot Park District NDSU Students Tackle the NFL Draft Experience 15 PO Box 538 Minot, ND 58701 State Plan Provides Data about Outdoor Recreation 16 701-740-5649 Commissioner’s Corner 18 [email protected] Bismarck Partners Up for Community Enrichment 20 President Elect Amy Pederson Valley City Parks and Recreation Cooperative Purchasing – Get What You Need 22 PO Box 422 Valley, City ND 58072 701-845-3294 ADVERTISERS [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer Kevin Klipfel B6C Builders 2 Bismarck Parks and Recreation District 400 E Front St. Peaks to Plains Design PC 5 Bismarck, ND 58504 Associated Supply Company Inc. 6 701-222-6455 [email protected] My Turn Playsystems 8 Public Policy Chair Cole Higlin Bobcat 9 Mandan Park District MTI Distributing 10 2600 4th Ave SE R.J. Thomas Manufacturing/Pilot Rock 11 Mandan, ND 58554 701-751-6161 Dakota Playground 12 [email protected] USTA Northern 13 External Affairs Chair Ashley Krasicki Herfort Norby Golf Course Architects 14 Williston Parks and Recreation District PO Box 1153 Rivard’s Turf & Forage 17 Williston, ND 58802 Grondahl Recreation Inc. 17 701-774-9773 Boom Concrete 18 [email protected] Recreation Supply Company 18 Internal Affairs Chair Sam Larson-Frobig Fargo Park District ND Insurance Reserve Fund 19 701 Main Ave. Cunningham Recreation/GameTime 19 Fargo, ND 58201 701-499-7781 The Tessman Company 20 [email protected] Acme Tools 21 ND State Procurement Office 22 STAFF Premier Polysteel 23 Executive Director Dana Schaar Jahner My Turn Playsystems 23 PO Box 1091 Bismarck, ND 58502 KLJ 24 701-355-4458 [email protected] Thank You to our FOCUS advertisers. We appreciate your business! FOCUS DESIGN & FOCUS is the official newsletter of the North Dakota Recreation & Park Association (NDRPA). DITING It is distributed quarterly via mail to more than 600 parks and recreation professionals and E posted on the NDRPA website. Submission of articles and photographs are encouraged in Julee Farnsworth-Ritz and Shannon Schutt digital format to [email protected]. Photographs should be high- Clearwater Communications resolution (300 dpi or greater). Advertising information is available online at www.ndrpa.com. Next FOCUS deadline: Oct. 15, 2018 WEBSITE Cover photo: Johnny Gisi Memorial Park, Bismarck Parks and www.ndrpa.com Recreation District 4 NDRPA NEWS Don’t Miss This Year’s State Professional Directory Conference Updates Needed Registration Open NDRPA is in the process of updating its biennial Professional Directory. If you have not yet submitted This year’s NDRPA State Conference is scheduled for updated park board member and staff contact Sept. 11-13 in Dickinson. See the insert in this issue of information, please do so by contacting Sam at 701- FOCUS for the complete schedule. New this year is the 355-4458 or sgegelman@clearwatercommunications. option to register online and pay with PayPal or request net. an invoice to pay by check. Register at www.ndrpa.com. New directories will be distributed to those attending the State Conference in Dickinson and then sent by mail. Scholarships Available for Small Park Boards NDRPA is pleased to announce five full registration scholarships for the NDRPA State Conference are PEOPLE ON THE MOVE available to park board commissioners or staff from park districts that do not have any full-time, year-round staff. Jeremy Black is the newest To request a scholarship, contact Sam or Shannon addition to the Choice Health and at the NDRPA office at 701-355-4458 or send an Fitness team at Grand Forks Park email to [email protected]. District as the customer service Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first- and information coordinator. He served basis. Park boards are encouraged to contact coordinates day-to-day operations NDRPA about the conference scholarships by Aug. 24. of the front desk and staff, while assisting with information management related to Choice’s programs and services. Originally from Hattiesburg, Miss., Jeremy has a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation with a minor in psychology. Dean Feltman has joined Fargo Park District (FPD) in park maintenance. He has been married to his wife, Cheryl, for 32 years and they have three sons: Ryan, Jordan and Zachary. Dean is interested in doing home projects and fixing and building things. He also likes hanging out with family and friends, sports and playing golf. Stephanie Gates works for FPD as a Ransom/Sargent float. She grew up in Milnor. Stephanie has two sisters and seven nephews. She is getting married to Jon in September. He has three daughters and one granddaughter. Her kids are two dogs, Gabby and Libby. She enjoys reading, walking her dogs, yardwork and spending time with family and friends. 5 PARK DISTRICT NEWS Minot Celebrates National Parks Roosevelt Park, exploration of the recently completed Woodland Trail with a tour by the Souris Valley Birding and Recreation Month Club, a “Get Fit with Whit” community workout led by The Minot Park District Whitney Boehm at the Oak Park Amphitheatre, a rocks (MPD) celebrated National painting party with artist Candace Brekke, and a movie Parks and Recreation in the park, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, at the Oak Month with events Park Amphitheatre. throughout their park system. The free events Bismarck to Host World Series were hosted from July 15-19. In a little over a year, Bismarck will roll out the red “July is a perfect time carpet to welcome the top 13- to 15-year-old baseball of year to celebrate parks talent in the country to Municipal Ballpark, home of and recreation in Minot,” Dakota Community Bank and Trust Field, to participate says Ron Merritt, MPD in the 2019 Babe Ruth League 13-15 World Series. The executive director. “The tournament is scheduled for Aug. 8-15. The Babe Ruth weather is perfect, the World Series is one of the largest youth sporting events flowers are blooming and in the country.